U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,895 to Iaslovits issued Aug. 29, 1989 with the title “Stemware holder” and is incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,895 describes a stemware holder that includes two, thin, elongated, semi-concave fingers, integral at their aft regions, which define a dome rising from a tray surface. The top of the dome is truncated and is open. The inboard edges of the fingers define a fore entry slot, a converging throat, a circular, central section at the truncated top of the dome, and a stress relief slot section extending aft from the circular section. The stemware holder is attached to the tray surface at the aft region. In one embodiment, this attachment is a tab protruding upward from the plane of said tray surface wherein a base portion of the tab extends through a through passage in the tray between the tray surface and the side wall of the tray. Ribs are disposed at an intermediate location on the top surface of the fingers and run longitudinal between the stress relief slot section and the outboard edge of each finger.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,059,138 to Labruyere issued on May 9, 2000 with the title “Slotted cup holder,” and is incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 6,059,138 describes a slotted cup holder having multiple slots that is adapted to accommodate a variety of beverage container shapes. The cup holder comprises a cylindrical body having two elongated lateral slots for a cup handle, a semi-circular top anterior slot, a large horizontal bottom anterior slot disposed at the front base of the cylindrical body, and an integrally formed elongated flat appendage that extends outward from the rear base of the cylindrical body. The elongated flat appendage serves to secure the cup holder to an appropriately configured table by sliding the appendage between a table rail and the table. The present invention is designed to accommodate not only traditional non-handled cups, but also handled cups, as well as short and long stem wine glasses. The economy of design of the present invention makes the slotted cup holder both practical and inexpensive.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,126,256 issued to Doces, II on Oct. 3, 2000 with the title “Portable stemmed glass/container retention rack & serving tray” and is incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 6,126,256 describes a storage rack for stemmed glasses and other containers having apertures with chamfered edges forming sockets for reception of the bases of inverted stemmed glasses. Access slots to the apertures are non radial with respect to the center of the apertures and are preferably tangential to the apertures. A pivotally mounted serving/mixing tray overlies the bases of the stemmed glasses to positively hold them within their sockets with positive holddowns or keeper members positioned to maintain the tray top in place. The rack may be wall mounted or adapted to be supported on a table top or the like and may be provided with carrying handles. In one embodiment, the storage rack is combined with a wine bottle rack having a cradle comprised of wedge shaped support members with contact surfaces inclined at less than 45 degrees to the vertical. The bottles are thus supported above the surface of the shelf and the weight of the bottles themselves holds them in tight engagement within the cradle. When combined with a portable sink and/or ice makers the bar unit becomes a self-contained installation for home, office, boat or RV use.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,131,545 issued to Grogan on Nov. 7, 2006 with the title “Glass rack” and is incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 7,131,545 describes an apparatus for a rack for stemware includes a main base plate having a device for engaging and retaining the positioning of a first and second portion of an article to be held. A pair of straps are predeterminedly fastened to the base whereby a plurality of glasses having a base can be inserted under opposing portions of the straps whereby the plurality of glasses are prevented from movement. The apparatus also provides for an additional method of fastening the straps by providing a plurality of row of throughbores whereby the straps can be woven through the holes in a number of methods with the end result being that stemware-like glasses can be retained by sliding one side of the glass base under one of the straps and the other side of the glass base under the opposing strap.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,840,078 issued to DeWald on Sep. 23, 2014 with the title “Portable beverage holder,” and is incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 8,840,078 describes a portable beverage holder having a middle piece and a bottom piece operably coupled to each other, and wherein the middle piece includes a frontal opening sufficient for receiving the stem of a stemmed container, and wherein the bottom piece includes a frontal opening sufficient for receiving the foot of a stemmed container, and wherein the bottom side of the middle piece includes one or more downward projecting flaps sufficient to secure the foot of a stemmed container against the bottom piece. The beverage holder optionally can include a top piece operably coupled to the middle piece, also having a frontal opening sufficient for receiving the stem of a stemmed container. The beverage holder can also include a non-continuous upwardly extending wall near the perimeter of the holder for containing almost any type of beverage container.
There remains a heretofore unmet need for an improved holder for a wine glass, stemware, snifter, goblet, coffee cup or the like that gently but securely receives and holds such beverage vessels and liquid drink containers, for example, in a mobile environment where movement of the environment would otherwise dislodge the glassware, such as recreational vehicles, aircraft or boats.